Patriarch John X Ordains Archdeacon Pavlus…

 

Patriarch John X presided over the Divine Liturgy in the Mariamiyah Patriarchal Cathedral in Damascus, where he ordained Archdeacon Pavlus Orduluoğluas a priest on the altar of the Lord.

 

He was assisted in the service by His Eminence, Metropolitan Damaskinos (Brazil), Ignatius (France), Jacques (Argentina), as well as Bishops Moussa (al-Khoury),Youhanna (Batach), and Moses (al-Khosi).

 

The Rt. Reverend Archimandrite Romanos Hannat, Abbot of the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Balamand, and Archimandrite Alexis Nassour, Representative of the Metropolitan of Akkar in Tartous, participated in the service. The fathers, Jean Balakji, priest of the city of Antioch, and Damian Yaacoub, priest of the city of Souriya, who specially attended for the occasion, in addition to many priests and deacons from the various dioceses of the Antiochian See in the homeland and abroad.

 

The Brazilian Ambassador in Syria, Mr. André Santos, and the People's Assembly Member, Mrs. Mariette Khoury, Mr. Fadi Khoury, President of the association in Antioch, and Mr. Mounir Dalloul, President of the association in Souriya, the nuns from the Patriarchal Monastery of Our Lady of Saidnaya, the relatives of the new priest, and a large gathering of believers attended.

 

At the end of the liturgy, His Beatitude delivered a speech in which he expressed his deep affection for this special occasion, which indicates the greatness of the Church of Antioch.

 

His Beatitude underlined that if we want to talk about Antioch, we shall look at this Divine Liturgy, in which the metropolitans, priests, and believers from our various dioceses in the homeland and abroad gather around one chalice.

 

Indeed, it is a strong expression of our unity in faith and belonging to our Antiochian Mother Church.

He added: "This is the glory of Antioch, the first church founded by the apostles Peter and Paul, and from which the Gospel spread to all parts of the world, the gospel of salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ, who is in its midst and hence it will not be shaken." He added that the Church of Antioch transcends borders and geography. She is the Mother Church. She is the beautiful bride of Christ who conveys to the world peace and love.

Then His Beatitude congratulated the new priest and his family on his ordination and gave him a commandment to be an emblem for his priestly life from the Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle, which was recited in the Divine Liturgy today, and quotes the Apostle Paul’s saying:"... and we put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited. Rather, as servants of God... Then he incited him to be a faithful servant of the flock by the grace of the Lord and the strength of His holy name.